


Doctor Who: The lonely inhabitant of the forest

by Blue_Dolphin_in_the_TARDIS_1986



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Falling In Love, Family, First Meetings, Forrest - Freeform, Loneliness, Love, Ninerose - Freeform, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-23 12:41:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17080508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Dolphin_in_the_TARDIS_1986/pseuds/Blue_Dolphin_in_the_TARDIS_1986
Summary: At the gates of London there is a forest, one that can not be entered at night. As soon as it's dark everyone will be trapped in it who went too far in. But there is also one inhabitant of the forest whose face had long seen another soul. But one day everything could change.





	Doctor Who: The lonely inhabitant of the forest

Doctor Who © by BBC Worldwide

Doctor Who: The lonely inhabitant of the forest

London/England/Europe

Sometime in the 19th century ...

„I'm going to collect firewood“, the ten-year-old boy jumped up, but was held back by his sister. She explained to him again that it is forbidden to enter the forest at night.

„I'll just stay at the edge, I promise“, he smiled, the smile he always used to convince her that nothing would happen. Before she could really stop him, he was already out the door.

The forest, it was said, would not have been so long. Once the area was covered by a huge field that stretched very far. But there was a secret surrounding this forest.

Tony, according to the boy's name, had not only found enough wood at the edge of the forest, but also mushrooms, which were now radiant in autumn leaves.  
He plucked it, thinking about it, that they could make it for dinner. They had not had such a tasty meal for a long time, since his sister Rose did not have enough money to get them something more expensive.

From a point not very far away, he was observed, but the creature had no evil intentions, but was more concerned. Anyone who entered this forest was trapped in it, would find no way out but luckily the boy had remained on the edge. But where did the little one come from? Why had he never seen him before?

He resolved to follow him, to see where he lived and yet never show himself. Nobody should ever see him, because everyone would be scared of his appearance. The water in which he reflected always showed him a young man, whose face was no longer covered by all the skin that was supposed to protect it. Only the tissue underneath remained with him and the knowledge of being a bandaged person forever.

The strange boy seemed to have collected enough firewood and set off on the way back. Quietly, so that he would not be noticed, he followed him, keeping in the background. He had pulled a hood over his head, just in case, so that his face remained hidden.

„Rose, I'm back!“, He shouted, and in the next few seconds a door opened and a young woman stepped out to help him. He gasped. In all the time he had lived, he had never seen a more beautiful creature in his eyes.

„Look, I've found mushrooms, we can do that for dinner“, he suggested and then gave her to her, but her eyes became sad.  
„We can not eat these, they are poisonous mushrooms.“  
„Oh I did not know that. I wanted ... you always do so much and I can not give you anything back“, he cried now, but Rose had never liked to see her little brother sad.

„We'll have more food one day, I promise you.“  
But she did not know how to keep that promise.

~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ ° ~ °

„Rose, Rose!!“, Tony shouted, louder and louder, „come quickly, otherwise you will not believe what's here!“

Tired, she had not slept much the night before, she entered the dining room and then stopped. A delicious breakfast was prepared on the table, but where did it come from? Her brother's eyes sparkled as he was about to take something away, but he was held back by her.  
„We ... we do not know where it came from.“  
„But it's here, right? So we can eat it too. And it would be a pity to ruin everything.“

She did not take anything to her except what she herself had bought.  
Although her brother was full, but she remained hungry.

The next few days, the morning was always a new, rich breakfast, on the table and she decided to finally find out who is responsible. So while Tony sleeps she would watch all night. Whoever was responsible for all this, he or she had to come through the door at all costs.

It was late in the evening, and while Tony slept, Rose was sitting on a chair, his eyes fixed on the door. She breathed a little, trying not to show that she was nervous. When the door opened, she sprang up, holding a log in her hand, but before she could do something, she dropped it as her eyes fell on a tall man whose face was invisible.

„What are you constantly looking for in my house?“, She wanted to know and although her voice trembled, her words were spoken with courage. But the stranger did not answer, but handed her the bags before he wanted to leave. She, however, had quickly reached up and pulled the hood away.

In front of her stood a man whose ears stood out slightly and whose eyes were as blue as the sea.

„You should not have done this“, his voice was low, with an accent she had never heard before, „why do not you run away now that you've seen my face?“

She looked him over, he was a little older than she was, but that was no reason for her to flee. Her hand went up, but he turned away from her.  
„Not, you should not touch my face.“  
Her hand touched his cheek and she could feel the warmth of his skin. But he, convinced that she was touching his tissue, was waiting for her to pull her hand away.

„Who are you?“  
„Do not ask, beautiful rose. You should be scared, my face is no longer covered in skin, the bones are now more exposed than before.“

She shook her head.  
„No, you are not the way you described it to me“, he said, quickly fetching a mirror, a mum's memorabilia, before she died shortly after Tony's birth. Her father ... No, she did not want to think about it. However, her parents had received from her daughter the most beautiful grave she could afford.

He saw his face, but here it was completely covered with skin.  
„You see, nothing to be afraid of“, she smiled, but she had only just met him a few minutes ago.  
„Maybe you'll just see me the way I used to be, but I'll always be disfigured for everyone else.“

She smiled, even if he wanted to leave again, he would always be welcome. He thanked her for that, but it was not said that he would ever come back to her.

The weeks went by, winter had arrived and the nights were snowing. Soon the whole city was covered with a white layer.

„Rose, look, I think we have a visitor.“  
She looked up from her book and still did not want to believe what had happened. And the next moment she was already out the door and ran to him.

„You see“, he smiled, „I promised you that I would come back. The curse that told me again and again that I would be alone forever is finally broken.“

She did not ask him what he was talking about, it did not matter. She had always had to think of the strange man who had given her brother so many days to eat during the last months. And she certainly knew one thing: she would never let him go again. With the end of the curse, the forest also released all the people who had once ventured too far into it. They all fell into a deep sleep so they never really died. And the forest kept her alive.

Rose stepped closer to him, her eyes searching for his. The eyes, whose color was as blue as the sea.  
So she raised both hands to his cheeks this time and pulled him down to seal his lips with hers. He hesitated a bit at first, but then realized that this was really happening. And so he drew the young woman, who looked at him without hesitation, not afraid of him, closer to her, while her kiss became more passionate. Nothing else mattered at this moment.

≈If anyone without fear looks on the face of the lonely inhabitant of the forest, then the punishment is forever a part of the past.≈


End file.
